Track switch with latch

ABSTRACT

A track switch for moving a horizontal switch tongue, comprises a bracket mounting the tongue for limited vertical swinging movement on a latching member, a control rod for horizontally moving the latching member, and on the side of the fixed rail opposite the bracket, a support carried by the latching member and supporting a roller whose axis is parallel to the fixed rail, the roller projecting beyond its support. The support is adjustable toward and away from the bracket.

Muted States Patent 1191 1111 3,836,771

Berst Sept. 17, 1974 TRACK SWITCH WITH LATCH 2,197,013 4/1940 Staples 246/448 [75] In entor: Jea J q Bets, Reichsho fen, 2,439,020 4/1948 Nell 246/443 France Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. [73] Assignee: Pierre Andre Berst, Reichshoffen A mm E i raRichai-d A, Bensch France; a P Interest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Young and Thompson [22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 327,092 [57] ABSTRACT A track switch for moving a horizontal switch tongue, comprises a bracket mounting the tongue for limited [2%] CCll. vertical Swinging movement on a latching member a Control rod for 9 i lly moving th l t hing mem. 1 Re 0 earc 448454 ber, and on the side of the fixed rail opposite the bracket, 21 support carried by the latching member and supporting a roller whose axis is parallel to the fixed [56] References cued rail, the roller projecting beyond its support. The sup UNITED STATES PATENTS port is adjustable toward and away from the bracket. 1,770,421 7 1930 N611 246/448 2,177,802 10 1939 Ferguson 246/448 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEU SEP 1 7 i974 SHEET 1 OF 2 PAIENTEDsEP 1 7 mm SHEET 2 [1F 2 TRACK SWITCH WITH LATCH The present invention relates to switches for the track of railway rolling stock, more particularly to such switches with latches for releasably retaining the switch in closed position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail switch with a latch which will releasably retain the tongue of the switch in closed position against the fixed rail.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of such a rail switch that will be readily doubleacting.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of such a rail switch with a latch that is secure against inadvertent dislodgement to retain one of the tongues of the switch in closed position against the fixed rail, but is readily disengageable to shift the switch.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rail switch with a latch, that will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, operate, maintain and repair, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one side of a rail switch according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1, but with the fixed rail and the tongue of the switch removed for clarity; and

FIG. 3 is a reduced elevational view of the entire assembly of the present invention, showing one tongue of the switch open and the other closed.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a track switch according to the present invention, in which a bracket 1 is secured by bolts 2 to one of a pair of tongues 3 of a track switch. The bracket 1 is pivotally mounted on a latch or connecting member 4 by means of a horizontal pivot 5 by which the bracket 1 and its carried tongue 3 are rendered vertically swingable relative to member 4.

At its end remote from pivot 5, member 4 carries a support 6. Adjacent pivot 5, member 4 is pivotally connected to a tie rod 7 for relative horizontal swinging movement and limited relative vertical movement. Tie rod 7 is the conventional track switch shifting rod, which is reciprocable lengthwise by conventional track switch actuating means (not shown) to actuate the track switch.

It is of course tobe understood from FIG. 3, that the structure shown in FIG. 1 is simply the left side of structure mirrored on the right side thereof; thus, the members 3, 4, 5, etc. shown in FIG. 1, have their mirror image duplicates on the right side, at 3', 4', 5', etc. Thus, the switch tongue 3 closes against its associated fixed rail 8 at the same time that the switch tongue 3' opens and moves away from its associated fixed rail 8, and vice versa. The reverse of this movement is shown by the arrow F in FIG. 3.

The support 6 is releasably secured in any of a plurality of adjusted positions lengthwise of member 4, by means of bolts 9 passing through slots 10 extending lengthwise of member 4, the bolts 9 being screwthreadedly received in support 6. Thus, loosening of the bolts 9 permits support 10 to be moved lengthwise of member 4; while tightening of the bolts fixes the support 6 in a newly adjusted position.

A pivot ll is carried by support 6 and supports a freely rotatable roller12 thereon. The upper and inner (in the direction of fixed rail 8) portion of roller 12 extends above and inward of support 6 thereby to provide an anti-friction contact between support 6 and rail 8.

The upper surface of the outer end of member 4 is provided with teeth 13 that match corresponding teeth on the underside of the support 6, so as to retain support 6 in its adjusted positions longitudinally of member 4.

It will thus be noted that the bracket 1 with the tongue 3 is vertically movable relative to the member 4, and that the member 4 is vertically movable relative to the tie rod 7 about a point of articulation 14 of member4 to tie rod 7. In operation, therefore, when the switch is thrown for example in the direction F seen in FIG. 3, the roller 12' will ride under and roll on the under surface of the foot of the rail 8', until the position shown in FIG. 1 is achieved. At the same time, the

track portion of the tongue 3' will contact the side, of

the head of the rail 8 and pivot about the pivot 5 until the foot of the tongue contacts the foot of the fixed rail. This stops the advance of the switch into closed position and tends to maintain the member 4 elevated to the FIG. 1 position, in which the pivots 5 and 11 and the bases of the rail 8 and the tongue 3, are all in approximate horizontal alignment in a horizontal plane P, the point of articulation 14 being disposed a substantial distance D below plane P. This maintains the switch latch closed, until a pull from the tie rod 7, exerted at a point on member 4 below pivot 5, unlatches the assembly.

It will of course be understood that the track switch of the present invention is supported for reciprocating movement, and the switch tongues for horizontal swinging movement, relative to the tracks at the switching point, by conventional means which are not shown in the drawings.

From a consideration of the foregoing disclosure, therefore, it will be evident that all of the initially re cited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with. a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as thoseskilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A track switch comprising a track switch tongue, and means for moving said track switch tongue toward and away from a fixed rail, said moving means comprising a tie rod, a latch member mounted for limited vertical swinging movement relative to said tie rod, a bracket connecting said tongue for limited vertical swinging movement relative to said member about a first horizontal axis parallel to said fixed rail, and a roller carried by said member on the side of the fixed rail opposite said tongue, said roller being freely rotatable about a second horizontal axis parallel to said first horizontal axis, the point of articulation of said member to 3. A track switch as claimed in claim 2, the base of said tongue being disposed substantially in said horizontal plane. 

1. A track switch comprising a track switch tongue, and means for moving said track switch tongue toward and away from a fixed rail, said moving means comprising a tie rod, a latch member mounted for limited vertical swinging movement relative to said tie rod, a bracket connecting said tongue for limited vertical swinging movement relative to said member about a first horizontal axis parallel to said fixed rail, and a roller carried by said member on the side of the fixed rail opposite said tongue, said roller being freely rotatable about a second horizontal axis parallel to said first horizontal axis, the point of articulation of said member to said tie rod being disposed a substantial distance below a horizontal plane that includes said first axis.
 2. A track switch as claimed in claim 1, said horizontal axes and the base of said fixed rail being disposed substantially in said plane when the latch is closed.
 3. A track switch as claimed in claim 2, the base of said tongue being disposed substantially in said horizontal plane. 